Modular drawer system

ABSTRACT

Cases, enclosures, or “road boxes” are custom designed and built using modular components whose lengths and/or heights are provided in multiples of the industry standard length EIA-U to allow compact housing of standard sized components and drawers within the enclosures. The stock materials used to construct the support frames which mount the components and the drawers designed to hold the accessories needed to operate the components are provided as modular elements having unit length dimensions clearly indicated to simplify building the enclosures at different, custom-designed lengths. The assembly of support frames and drawers is further simplified by interlocking elements by means of tongue-and-groove connections spaced to correspond to the same unit length dimensions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of The Invention

[0002] This invention relates to “road cases”, modular units used tohouse electronic, sound equipment, and accessories (cables, microphones,etc.) for events such as concerts, stage productions, and trade shows.

[0003] 1. Background of the Invention and Description of Related Art

[0004] Most road cases are custom designed and built to thespecifications of the customer. Building custom designed road cases is alabor-intensive process that presents several challenges to thecustom-builder. Many prior inventors have attempted to address thesechallenges, a representative sample of such attempts is summarizedbelow:

[0005] It is known to provide extrusions of stock materials ofindeterminate length which are notched and bent to form two or moresides of a drawer; see Nemlich, Hilfinger et al., Schock, Cornell, Lampeet al., Doud et al., and Ferrari et al. A consistent theme in thesereferences is that the drawers are all of one size, so the notches arepre-formed at the factory. The stock materials are then shipped flat tothe construction site, where they are bent to form the walls of thedrawers. None of them are concerned with the problems and expenses ofbuilding custom drawers for custom enclosures.

[0006] It is known to provide interlocking extrusions of differentheights to form the sides of drawers, so that when interlocked in astacked configuration, drawer depths which are multiples of thedifferent heights provided can be attained. See Greer, for instance, whoprovides drawer side extrusions of two inches and four inches in height.Greer, too, is not concerned with the problems and expenses of buildingcustom drawers for custom enclosures. Instead, Greer is supplying drawermaterials to fit within built-in cabinets in hospitals, clinics, officebuildings, apartment houses, condominiums, etc., in knock-down conditionto save shipping costs. Column 1, lines 4-8.

[0007] It is also known to provide telescoping frame members so that thelengths and/or widths of enclosures can be selectively varied to fit thecircumstances. See Scherrer, Peterson, and Vinson et al.. The telescopicelements shown in these patents are infinitely adjustable rather thanadjustable in pre-set increments, i.e., they are analog rather thandigital. Each of their adjustments must be individually measured andassembled by hand using trial-and-error settings until the desiredlength is attained.

[0008] Two patents known to the inventor address the problems ofconnecting multiple electronic components to vertical rails within acabinet, Boulay et al. and Tang et al.

[0009] Boulay et al. slidably mount computers within a cabinet by meansof drawer slides. A bracket is attached to each end of the portion ofthe drawer slide fixed to a pair of vertical support rails. The distancebetween front and rear support rails is determined by the locations atwhich they are fastened to the cabinet interior walls. Because thepre-formed mounting apertures in standard support rails come in one oftwo spacing standards, English or metric, a problem arises as to thesuitability of the brackets to fit the standard encountered within aspecific cabinet. Boulay et al. solve the problem by providing flangeson each end of each bracket, one flange being pre-formed with aperturesspaced according to one standard and the other having apertures spacedaccording to the other standard. By designing the bracket to bereversibly mountable on the drawer slide, the appropriate standard willalways be available to mount to the vertical support rails. Theteachings of Boulay et al. are irrelevant to the herein disclosed andclaimed invention.

[0010] Tang et al. are concerned with housing electronic componentshaving heights in multiples of 0.5 EIA-U in an equipment enclosure withas little wasted vertical space as possible. One EIA-U is the unitstandard height set by the Electronic Industries Association of 1.75inches (44.45 millimeters) for electronic components. Vertical supportcolumns with mounting apertures spaced by one EIA-U are adapted tomounting components having half EIA-U dimensions by providingintermediate support rails adapted to be fixedly mounted on thecomponent and fastened onto the columns. Two fastening orientations areincluded in the fabrication of the rails, one for attaching componentshaving vertical dimensions of whole multiples of EIA-U to the columnsand the other for attaching components having vertical dimensions ofwhole multiples plus one-half EIA-U to the columns. The support railsare unitary structures provided in a single fixed length which isnecessarily longer than any component for which it is intended. Thedistance between front and rear support columns is determined by thelocations at which they are fastened to the cabinet interior walls. Tanget al. are not concerned with building custom storage and transportenclosures and do not envision mixing drawers and components in the sameenclosure.

[0011] In summary of the prior art known to the inventor, no one hasaddressed or solved the problems inherent in building custom road boxes.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention recognizes the problems described aboveinherent in building custom road boxes and has solved them by providinga modular system of designing and custom-building said road boxes.

[0013] The present invention accomplishes the above by providing asupport frame comprising a pair of support rails having preformedapertures through spaced according to integer values of the industrystandard EIA-U for supporting electronic components having heights inthe same EIA-U standards. In addition, modular drawers are designed tohave heights in multiple integers of EIA-U, so that drawers andcomponents alike can be mounted on the support frames with little or nowasted vertical space there between. The distance between support railsand the lengths and widths of the drawers are effected by theapplication of a unit length concept which eliminates the need tomeasure and cut each of a multitude of repetitive dimensions. Theelimination of repetitive analog measurements greatly reduces the timeand costs of designing and building custom road boxes.

[0014] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide stockmaterials having important dimensions in whole multiples of EIA-U andstock materials being dimensioned to construct drawers having heightdimensions in whole multiples of EIA-U so that they can easily beassembled into custom designed road boxes.

[0015] It is a further object of the invention to interlock constructionelements with tongue-and-groove connections to simplify the building ofcustom road boxes.

[0016] It is a further object of the invention to reduce the size andcost of a custom road box by reducing the size of the enclosing supportframe, and thereby the exterior case, to the actual sizes of thecomponents housed therein.

[0017] It is a further object of the invention to provide custom builtroad boxes which house both electronic components and drawersdimensioned to hold the accompanying accessories for said components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The foregoing and other objects, aspects, uses, and advantages ofthe present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomesbetter understood from the following detailed description of the presentinvention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

[0019]FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially in phantom, whichillustrates a completed road box according to the preferred embodimentof the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a finished drawer according to theinventive of FIG. 1;

[0021] FIGS. 3-4 show side views of the preferred extrusions used in theformation of the walls of the drawer of FIG. 2;

[0022]FIG. 5 is a side view showing the manner of interlocking two ofthe extrusions of FIGS. 3 and 4;

[0023]FIG. 6 is a top view of a piece of stock material of the extrusionof FIGS. 3-4 showing the preferred manner of effecting the length andwidth of the drawer of FIG. 2;

[0024] FIGS. 7-8 show an alternate manner of constructing the drawer ofFIG. 2;

[0025]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an extrusion for use as the faceof the drawer of FIG. 2;

[0026]FIG. 10 is an end view of various heights of the extrusion of FIG.9;

[0027]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an end cap for closing theexposed ends of the extrusion of FIG. 9;

[0028]FIG. 12 is a side view of corresponding lengths of end caps foruse with the various heights of the extrusions shown in FIG. 10;

[0029]FIG. 13 is a perspective view, partially in phantom, of a drawerconstructed with the extrusions of FIGS. 3-5 showing the manner ofattaching a drawer face plate;

[0030]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a bracket used in attaching thedrawer face plate to the drawer of FIG. 13;

[0031]FIG. 15 is an enlarged view illustrating the mounting of thebracket of FIG. 14 to the side wall extrusion of FIG. 3;

[0032]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an assembled support frame for aplurality of drawers and/or electronic components;

[0033]FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a rail used in making the supportframe of FIG. 16;

[0034] FIG. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a stretcher used inconnecting two of the rails shown in FIG. 17 to form the support frameof FIG. 16; and

[0035]FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a spacer for use with thestretcher of FIG. 18 to form a gauge bracket used to accurately spacetwo of the rails of FIG. 17 to form the support frame of FIG. 16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0036] A fundamental principle underlying the disclosed invention is theconcept of unit spacing. Electronic rack components, e.g., amplifiers,equalizers, etc., are constructed in an industry standard height set bythe Electronic Industries Association of 1.75 inches (44.45millimeters), which for convenience will be referred to as one EIA-U. Aswill be seen in the following disclosure, repetitive structural elementsused in building road boxes are provided with dimensions in integerincrements of standard units, i.e. EIA-U. This applies to elementsdesigned to be interconnected by tongue-and-groove, by being snap-fit,and by the spacing of pre-formed mounting apertures on skeletal frames.The primary advantage to the designer/builder of working with incrementsof units is that custom road boxes can be designed and built without thenecessity of virtually all independent measurements. Elements are simplyaligned and interconnected. The savings in time and costs due toutilization of this principle are substantial.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, a portion of the interior structure of arepresentative road box 10 is shown as assembled. The major componentsshown are an exterior case 12, a pair of support frames 14A and 14B, anda drawer 16 which includes a drawer face plate 18. The invention focuseson the design and construction of support frames 14A and 14B and drawer16.

[0038] Exterior case 12 is diagrammatically illustrated in phantom. Case12 can take on many forms (not shown) emphasizing decorative orstructural considerations, e.g., a cubically-shaped, open framework ofsteel angle-irons is relatively light in weight, rugged, and protectsthe interior of the road box from blows to the corners (where it is mostlikely to be damaged); a plurality of transparent plastic panels bondedtogether is also light weight, protects the interior from objectspenetrating the box between the corners, protects the interior from dustand dirt, and is dramatic in appearance; and a skin of sheet steelpanels absorbs minor bruising and keeps out foreign particles, whileproviding a smooth surface for logos, advertising, etc.. Combining twoor more of these constructions would obviously combine their attributes.Usually case 12 will have a handle on the top and a front cover (notshown). The cover can be a removable side fastened to the case with apair of opposed industrial latches, or a door hinged to the front with alatch for securing the door closed (not shown). When the cover isopened, access is provided to the electronic components therein and toone or more drawers 16 slidable through the open front. A wide varietyof specific cases can be designed for use with the disclosed invention.

[0039] A pair of support frames 14A and 14B are secured to case 12 onopposite sides of drawer 16. Frame 14 supports the electronic rackcomponent(s) and any drawers 16 associated therewith. Any number ofdrawers 16, only the top drawer being clearly visible in FIG. 1, can beprovided, dependent on the component(s) to be housed in case 12.

[0040] A major part of the savings in time and costs resides in themodular construction of drawers 16; their construction is shown in FIGS.2-15.

[0041] As seen in FIG. 2, a representative drawer 16 is shown comprisinga sidewall 20, a rear wall 22, a sidewall 24, a face 18, and a floor 26.Each drawer 16 rides on a pair of conventional drawer slides 28 (shownschematically in FIGS. 2 and 13) which are attached to drawer 16 and tothe disclosed pair of support frames 14A and 14B in a conventionalmanner. As will be explained in greater detail herein, face 18 has aheight dimension that is slightly less (e.g., 0.125 inches) than aninteger multiple of an EIA-U to allow for clearance between adjacentfaces and walls 20-24 have a height that is about 0.5 inches less thanan integer multiple of an EIA-U to allow clearance between drawers.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 3-6, walls 20-24 are made from one or moreextrusions 30 of stock materials provided in any convenient length,e.g., six to eight feet.

[0043] Extrusion 30 is preferably made from aluminum to take advantageof its combination of strength-to-weight ratio.

[0044] Extrusion 30 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectioncharacterized by a smooth outer wall 32 and an inner wall 34 joined by atop wall 36 and a bottom wall 38. (The relative terms “outer,” “inner,”“top,” and “bottom” are all with reference their respective locations inan assembled drawer 16.) Inner wall 34 has two integral ribs 40extending the full length of extrusion 30. Ribs 40, preferably formedthrough the extrusion process, have a substantially circularcross-section opening inwardly into drawer 16 through a pair of slots42. The principal functions of ribs 40 are to enable attachment ofoptional inner wall linings (not shown) and to facilitate attachment offace plate 18 to walls 20 and 24, as will become clear shortly. Thelatter function leads them to be spaced apart a standard distance andlocated at preselected positions on inner wall 34. Ribs 40 also increasethe strength of walls 20-24.

[0045] A hook 44 extends from top wall 36 and forms a small groove 46along the length of extrusion 30. An L-shaped tongue 48 extends frombottom wall 38. Tongue 48 defines a larger groove 50 which is sized toreceive floor 26 (FIG. 2) of drawer 16. Floor 26 can be made from anysuitable material, such as plywood, particleboard or an aluminumextrusion, for example.

[0046] Extrusion 30 is preferably provided in a variety of heights whichcorrespond to about 0.5 inches less than an integer multiple of anEIA-U. In this embodiment two heights of extrusion 30 are provided, 3.0inches (30A, FIG. 3), and 4.5 inches (30B, FIG. 4). Extrusion 30A iscalled a “2U extrusion” because it is used in combination with a faceplate 18 that provides a drawer than is slightly less than 2 EIA-U inoverall height. Similarly, extrusion 30B is called a “3U extrusion”because it is used in combination with a face plate 18 that provides adrawer than is slightly less than 3 EIA-U in overall height. As shown inFIG. 5, groove 46D snugly receives L-shaped tongue 48C therein tovertically interlock extrusions 30C and 30D (both 2U extrusions).Interlocking of tongue 48 and groove 46 permits the custom builder toconstruct drawers, each having an overall height ranging from 2 EIA-U to6 EIA-U (in integer increments) by simple using different combinationsof extrusions 30A and 30B. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a drawerhaving a total height of 4 EIA-U can be constructed by verticallystacking two 2U extrusions 30C and 30D.

[0047] Extrusion 30 also preferably includes a drawer slide positiongroove 27 (see FIG. 3), located on outer wall 32, which allows thecustom builder to locate the proper vertical position of drawer slide 28(FIG. 1) without measuring. Groove 27 is the preferred means foridentifying the proper vertical position of drawer slide 28, however,other means are possible, such as a line drawn in outer wall 32 inpermanent ink, for example.

[0048] The length and width of drawer 16 can vary widely, depending uponcustomer specifications. As a practical matter, however, the length ofdrawer 16 is usually chosen to correspond to available standard drawerslide lengths, e.g. even integer increments from 10 inches to 28 inches.The manner of effecting the desired length L and width W of drawer 16 isillustrated in a top view of strip 30 in FIG. 6.

[0049] Extrusion 30 is initially linear, as shown in FIG. 6. First,extrusion 30 is cut to a length equal to width W plus 2 times length L.Two v-shaped notches 54 and 56 (each forming a 90 degree angle) are thencut through extrusion 30. The location of notches 54 and 56 isdetermined by measuring a distance equal to the desired length L ofdrawer 16 inwardly from end points 52 and 58, respectively. The distancebetween notches 54 and 56 should equal width W. Finally, extrusion 30 isinwardly bent 90° at notches 54 and 56 as shown by arrows 60 and 62 tothe position shown in dotted lines, thus forming side walls 20 and 24and rear wall 22. Obviously, if a drawer height of over 3 EIA-U isdesired, the interlocking of extrusions 30 should be effected prior tothe above steps of notching, cutting, and bending. If desired, stackedextrusions 30 can be secured together, e.g., by spot welding, adhesives,screws, etc., to facilitate handling thereof, but it is not strictlynecessary.

[0050] Once side walls 20 and 24 and rear wall 22 have been formed,floor 26 is then slid into place along groove 50 of side walls 20 and24, until being seated into groove 50 of rear wall 22.

[0051] An alternate method of selecting the length and width of drawer16 is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. This alternative method may be usedby custom builders who do not have the equipment necessary to notch andbend extrusion 30, as described above. In this embodiment, two pieces 64and 66 of the desired length of side walls 20 and 24 are cut fromextrusion 30 and mitered at 45° at one end as shown. A third piece 68 ofthe desired width of rear wall 22 is cut from strip 30 and mitered at45° at both ends. Piece 68 is attached to pieces 64 and 66 by means ofscrews 70 threaded through rear wall 22 into plugs (not shown) which areforce fit into the circular ends of ribs 40. Alternatively, if screws 70are of the self-threading type, they can cut their own threads withinribs 40 (FIGS. 3-4). The resulting drawer side walls 20-24 are shownassembled in FIG. 8.

[0052] The construction of drawer face plate 18 is shown in FIGS. 9-12.Face plate 18 comprises an extrusion 72 (FIG. 9) is supplied as a stockmaterial in convenient lengths, e.g., six or eight feet, which is cutinto a length appropriate to the width of the drawer being constructed.Extrusion 72 is provided in different heights, as shown in FIG. 10, thatare slightly less (e.g., 0.125 inches) than a multiple integer of thesame standard height units EIA-U as extrusion 30, 2 EIA-U through 6EIA-U (ref nos. 72A through 72E, respectively), corresponding to thedesired drawer height. Larger heights may be provided, if needed.

[0053] Unlike drawer extrusion 30, face place extrusion 72 is notdesigned to be stacked, for it has no interlocking tongue-and-groove, asthe cross-sections in FIGS. 9 and 10 show. Rather, extrusion 72 is aunitary structure so as to present a smooth front with no seams and toprovide rigidity when affixed to extrusion 30. The unitary constructionof extrusion 72 in combination with the bending of extrusion i30 (FIG.6) is sufficient to maintain stacked extrusions (e.g., 30C and 30D)together without addition bonding (such as welding or adhesives).

[0054] A plurality of L-shaped flanges 74, 76, 78, and 80 protrude fromthe outer face 82 of extrusion 72. In addition to providing additionalrigidity to extrusion 72, flanges 74-80 act as built-in finger grips foropening drawer 16 and allow an insert 108 (see FIG. 2) to be securedwithin extrusion 72. Insert 108 often includes a logo or otheridentifying indicia (not shown) and/or is color-coordinated with otherequipment. Optionally, flanges 76 and 78 may be omitted.

[0055] A plurality of end caps 84 (FIGS. 11-12) are provided which arepress fit into the ends of extrusion 72; see FIGS. 1 and 2. End caps 84each have a flat exterior wall 86 to provide a smooth finish to the endsof drawer face plate 18 and include an assortment of bas relief typeflanges 88 extending oppositely to exterior wall 86 (see 84E, FIG. 12)to snugly fit within the spaces delineated by L-shaped flanges 74-80.Notches 90 are friction fit to flanges 74-80. As shown in FIG. 12, endcaps 84 also are unitary structures which have been molded to match theheight of differently sized face plates 18. Preferably end caps 84 aremolded of plastic, but, of course, any finish trim material can be used.

[0056] The desired length of extrusion 72 is usually determined by thewidth W of the drawer 16 to which it is to be attached, plus an overhangon each end (e.g. 1 inch at each end). Once the desired length isdetermined, extrusion 72 is cut to length, and end caps 84 are press fitthereon. Face plate 18 is secured to drawer 16 by screws (not shown)which extend through extrusion 72 and into ribs 40 at the open ends ofside walls 20 and 24 (FIGS. 3-5).

[0057] FIGS. 13-15 show an alternative means of face plate constructionand attachment. In this embodiment a solid face plate 18A (in phantom inFIG. 13) is attached to side walls 20 and 24 via angled brackets 92.Angled brackets 92 are preferably formed of molded of plastic, includeorthogonal plates 94 and 96, reinforced by strengthening ribs 98 and100. Substantially cylindrical ribs 102 which extend outwardly fromplate 94 are parallel and spaced apart the same distance as ribs 40 andare dimensioned to press fit snugly within the cylindrical openingsformed by ribs 40. Screw receiving holes 104 and 106 are provided inplates 94 and 96, respectively.

[0058] To assemble, cylindrical ribs 102 of a pair of brackets 92 arepress fit (FIG. 15) into ribs 40 in side walls 20 and 24, brackets 92are secured to side walls 20 and 24 by fasteners, e.g., screws or rivets(not shown), through holes 104, and the appropriate face plate 18A issecured with screws (not shown) to brackets 92 through holes 106. Theface plate securing screws are hidden by a laminated insert 108 (FIG. 2)adhesively fastened to outer face 82 of face plate 18A between L-shapedflanges 74, 76, 78, and 80. The laminate inserts 108 can be colormatched to case 12 or color coded using different laminates to aid inidentification of the component(s) stored therein. Custom wood frontscan also be mounted by brackets 92 if desired. Face plate 18A can alsobe mounted in the manner previously described for mounting rear side 22(FIGS. 7-8), i.e., by screws and plugs or by self-tapping screws, butthe use of brackets 92 is preferred.

[0059] Turning to FIGS. 16-19, support frame 14 (FIG. 16) is shown ascomprising a pair of vertical, steel rails 110 (FIG. 17), and a pair abrackets 186A and 186B (referred to collectively as brackets 186), eachincluding a stretcher (112A and 112B, respectively), and a spacer (114Aand 114B, respectively).

[0060] A perspective view of the front of rail 110A is shown in FIG. 17;a perspective view of the rear of rail 110B can be seen in FIG. 16. (Therelative terms “front” and “rear” indicate the side which faces towardor away from drawers 16, respectively. Rails 110A and 110B are identicaland are referred to collectively as Rails 110.) Rails 110 are thebackbone of the modular drawer system. They are pre-formed, preferablyby an extrusion process, with a plurality of sets of apertures therethrough, the apertures of each set being precisely spaced apart alongselected surfaces for a purpose to be described. Rails 110 are suppliedto the custom builder as stock materials which are cut to length to suitthe road box being fashioned.

[0061] As can be seen in FIGS. 16 and 17, each rail 110 is an integralstructure, serpentine in cross-section, which comprises an outwardlylocated flange 116 which is joined by a 90° bend with a first inwardlydirected (i.e., toward drawer 16) flat bight 118. A second 90° bendjoins bight 118 with a first interior wall 120 joined in turn by a 90°bend with an outwardly facing web 122 (i.e., facing case 12). Web 122 isjoined by a 90° bend with a second interior wall 124. A second inwardlydirected flat bight 126 lying in the same plane as bight 118 is integralvia respective 90° bends with interior wall 124 and an interiorly facingflange 128. The outer edges 130 and 132 of flanges 116 and 128 and theflat surface 134 of web 122 lie in a second plane.

[0062] Rail 110 has a plurality of apertures pre-drilled or punchedthrough web 122, bight 126, and flanges 116 and 128 during manufacture.The apertures are precisely located and spaced apart according to theaforementioned unit concept.

[0063] Circular apertures 136 are uniformly spaced through web 122 andare for securing rails 110 to case 12.

[0064] Apertures 138 through bight 126 (FIG. 17) are preferably spaced 1EIA-U apart. Drawer slides 28 are mounted via apertures 138, thusaccurately positioning and spacing drawers 16 without the need for anymeasurements.

[0065] Paired apertures 140 (FIG. 16) in outer flange 116 are alsospaced precisely 1 EIA-U apart. The spacing between each aperture thatforms each pair 140 is designed to accommodate the mounting flanges ofstandard electronic rack components (not shown). correspondingly spacedas paired apertures 140. In addition, the location and spacing of eachpair of apertures 140 allows for the installation of rack components anddrawers in many combinations without measuring for vertical location. Infact, no measuring or drilling is necessary to accurately position thecomponents, yet when assembled, they are stored as compactly aspossible, inasmuch as the electronic components take up only thevertical spacing necessary for their inclusion into road box 10.

[0066] Elongated, rectangular apertures 142 are formed in interiorlyfacing flange 128. Corresponding points on adjacent apertures 142 arespaced one-half EIA-U apart, so it follows that pairs of apertures 142span one EIA-U. As will be explained herein, apertures 142 are used tosecure stretcher 112 and spacer 114.

[0067] Stretcher 112 (FIG. 18) comprises an elongated, unitary body 144,preferably molded of light weight plastic, which is bordered bystructural side flanges 146 and an end flange 148. Flanges 146 and 148extend outwardly from the peripheral edges of body 144 to define aconcavity 150 running the length of stretcher 112. Locator keys 152 areuniformly spaced, as measured from end flange 148, along both of sideflanges 146. Body 144 comprises a string of alternating, rectangularcells 154 and 156, each having the same width (in this embodiment 32millimeters or 1.25 inches), separated by locator keys 152. Cells 154include an aperture 158 to reduce the weight of stretchers 112. Cells156 are characterized by a pair of flexible tongues 160 which arecentrally located on cell 154 and extend into concavity 150. Extendingoutwardly from end flange 148 of stretcher 112 is a pair of invertedL-shaped hooks 162. The other end 164 of stretcher 112 is undefined, therepetitive nature of stretcher 112 being merely ended at a lengthappropriate for supporting the longest readily available standard drawerslide, which is 28 inches in length.

[0068] Spacer 114 (FIG. 19) is an elongated bar comprised of a pluralityof cells 166 of the same width as cells 154 and 156 of stretcher 112.Spacer 114 is molded of a plastic material and has a length consistingof an integer number of cells 166. The width of spacer 114 is such thatit fits snugly within concavity 150 of stretcher 112. Uniformly spacedalong the longitudinal edges 168 of spacer 114 are U-shaped notches 170.Notches 170 are spaced the same distance apart as locator keys 152 ofstretcher 112. Each cell 166 has a planar body 172 bordered by astrengthening, perimetric flange 174. Centrally located in each cell 166is an oval ridge 176 encompassing an oval aperture 178 sized tointerlock with said pair of flexible tongues 160 on stretcher 112. Apair of L-shaped hooks 180 extends longitudinally from one end 182 ofspacer 114; the other end 184 is preferably flat as shown. It will benoted that hooks 180 are on the opposite end of spacer 114 as hooks 162are on stretcher 112.

[0069] The assembly of support frame 14 is readily apparent from FIGS.16-19. Based on the length of the drawer slides (not shown) to be usedwith drawers 16 and the length of the rack component(s) to be housed inroad box 10, the desired spacing between front rail 110A and rear rail110B is determined. The desired spacing is such that the distancebetween apertures 136 of rails 110A and 110B is between 7.55 inches (192mm) to 21.42 inches (544 mm) in increments of 1.26 inches (32 mm). Suchspacing is preferred because it corresponds to the spacing betweenmounting holes on standard drawer slides, such as Accuride® drawer slideModel 3832B.

[0070] A gauge bracket 186 (FIG. 16) of the length desired forseparation of rails 110 is assembled by the joining together of astretcher 112 and a spacer 114. The length is selected in terms ofincrements of unit lengths equal to the unitary width of cells 154, 156,and 166. Locator keys 154 mate with notches 170 to facilitate accuraterelative alignment of stretcher 112 and spacer 114, and spacer 114 issnugly fit within concavity 150 of stretcher 112 at the desired length.If spacer 114 is too long to fit within stretcher 112, end 184 of spacer114 is cut off, and the excess length discarded. Stretcher 112 andspacer 114 are snap-fit together with flexible tongues 160 interlockingwith oval apertures 178 to releasably hold stretcher and spacertogether. Preferably, at least three cells 166 should overlap with threecells 154 and 156 for strength. Because of the unitary width of cells154, 156, and 166 of stretcher 112 and spacer 114, gauge bracket 186 iseasy to assemble in easily repeatable lengths. Once again the unitlength concept has simplified the construction of road box 10.

[0071] As clearly shown in FIG. 16, a pair of gauge brackets 186A and186B are attached to a pair of rails 110A and 110B to form support frame14. L-shaped hooks 180 of spacer 114 are inserted through a pair ofrectangular apertures 142 in flange 128 of rail 110A and snapped intolocking engagement therewith. Hooks 180 and apertures 142 provide forproper relative vertical alignment of rails 110A and 110B. Hooks 162 onstretcher 112 are then inserted through a pair of rectangular apertures142 in flange 128 of rail 110B and snap-locked therewith to complete theconstruction of support frame 14 at the desired spacing of rails 110Aand 110B. The assembly of support frame 14 is simple and quicklyaccomplished.

[0072] Once assembled, a pair of support frames 14 (FIG. 1) are attachedto case 12 by appropriate fasteners, e.g., screws or rivets, throughcircular apertures 136 in web 122 of rails 110A and 110B (FIG. 16).Outer edges 130 and 132 of flanges 116 and 128 and the flat surface 134of web 122 are mounted tightly against case 12, providing a solidthree-point contact therewith which prevents rotation of rail 110 aboutits longitudinal axis. Drawer slides 28 are attached by fasteners todrawers 16 and to circular apertures 138 in bight 126 of rails 110 (FIG.17). The pre-selected, unit spacing of apertures 138 assures accurateplacement of drawer slides in road box 10. The electronic rackcomponents housed in road box 10 are also accurately mounted on rails110 due to the unit spacing of the pre-formed pairs of apertures 140.

[0073] It can be seen from the above disclosure that construction of acustom-built road box is easily and quickly accomplished, due to theunit spacing concept designed into the modular drawer components and themodular support frame components.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0075] Further, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable theU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the public generally, andespecially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art whoare not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determinequickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of thetechnical disclosure of the application. The Abstract is neitherintended to define the invention of the application, which is measuredsolely by the claims, nor is intended to be limiting as to the scope ofthe invention in any way.

[0076] It can be seen from the above that an invention has beendisclosed which fulfills all the objects of the invention. It is to beunderstood, however, that the disclosure is by way of illustration onlyand that the scope of the invention is to be limited solely by thefollowing claims:

I claim as my invention:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a first brackethaving a length, a first end and a second end; first and second rails,each of said rails having a first drawer slide aperture formed thereon;means for attaching said first end of said first bracket to said firstrail and said second end of said first bracket to said second rail; andmeans for adjusting said length of said first bracket by fixedincremental amounts, so that when said first bracket is positionedbetween said first and second rails, said first end is attached to saidfirst rail, and said second end is attached to said second rail, and thedistance between said first drawer slide aperture of said first rail andsaid first drawer slide aperture of said second rail is equal to thedistance between the mounting holes of a standard drawer slide.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein said distance between the mounting holesof a standard drawer slide is taken from the group of: 8.82 inches (224millimeters), 12.60 inches (320 millimeters), 13.86 inches (352millimeters), 17.64 inches (448 millimeters), 18.90 inches (480millimeters), and 21.42 inches (544 millimeters)
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said first bracket includes a spacer and a stretcher.4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for adjusting saidlength of said first bracket by fixed incremental amounts comprises aplurality of spacer cells formed in said spacer and a plurality ofstretcher cells formed in said stretcher, each of said plurality ofspacer cells being smaller than and complimentary in shape to each ofsaid plurality of stretcher cells so that said spacer and said stretchercan be interlocked in a plurality of positions, wherein each of saidplurality of positions are characterized by a different number of saidplurality of cells of said spacer being interlocked within saidplurality of cells of said stretcher.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4,wherein each of said spacer cells and said stretcher cells are 1.25inches (32 millimeters) in width.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4, whereinsaid spacer and said stretcher each comprises a body, upper and lowerside flanges, and an end flange, said upper and lower side flanges andsaid end flange extending outwardly from the perimeter of said body andbeing oriented perpendicular to said body.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein said means for attaching said first end to said first rail andsaid second end to said second rail comprises a first L-shaped flangeextending outwardly from said first end of said first bracket and asecond aperture formed in said first rail.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1,further comprising a second bracket, said second bracket beingstructurally identical to said first bracket.
 9. The apparatus of claim1, wherein said first and second rails each having a second drawer slideaperture formed thereon, the distance between said first drawer slideaperture and said second drawer slide aperture being an integer multipleof one EIA-U.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the distance betweensaid first drawer slide aperture and said second drawer slide apertureequals one EIA-U.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of saidfirst and second rails includes: an outer flange; and a plurality ofpairs of rack component apertures located along the length of said outerflange at increments of one EIA-U.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11,wherein said of said first and second rails further includes: a bight;and a plurality of drawer slide apertures located along the length ofsaid bight at increments of one EIA-U.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12,wherein said plurality of drawer slide apertures are perpendicular tosaid plurality of pairs of rack component apertures.
 14. An extrusion,comprising: first and second ends; top and bottom walls; an inner wallconnecting said top and bottom walls; and a first rib located on saidinner wall extending from said first end to said second end, said firstrib being circular in cross-section and defining a slot in said innerwall.
 15. The extrusion of claim 14, wherein said inner wall issubstantially planar.
 16. The extrusion of claim 14, wherein said firstrib extends from said first end to said second end.
 17. The extrusion ofclaim 14, further comprising a hook extending upwardly from said topwall, said hook defining a first groove.
 18. The extrusion of claim 17,further comprising a tongue extending downwardly from bottom wall 38,said tongue defining a second groove for receiving a drawer bottom. 19.The extrusion of claim 18, wherein said tongue is L-shaped.
 20. Theextrusion of claim 14, wherein said extrusion further comprises an outerwall connecting said top and bottom walls, said outer wall having athird groove formed thereon for identifying the mounting location of astandard drawer slide, said third groove extending from said first endto said second end.
 21. An apparatus, comprising: a first extrusion anda second extrusion, each of said extrusions having first and second endsdefining a length, top and bottom walls defining a height, and an innerwall, a first rib located on said inner wall, said first rib defining aslot in said inner wall; and said first extrusion having means forinterlocking said first extrusion and said second extrusion when saidfirst extrusion and second extrusions are vertically stacked.
 22. Theapparatus of claim 21, wherein said height of said first extrusion andsaid height of said second extrusion each equal about 0.5 inches (12.7mm) less than a integer multiple of an EIA-U.
 23. The apparatus of claim22, wherein said height of said first extrusion is equal to either twoor three EIA-U.
 24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said height ofsaid second extrusion is equal to either two or three EIA-U.
 25. Theapparatus of claim 21, wherein said means for interlocking said firstextrusion and said second extrusion when said first extrusion and secondextrusions are vertically stacked comprises a first tongue located onsaid bottom wall of said second extrusion and a first hook located onsaid top wall of said first extrusion, said first hook forming a firstgroove that is complimentary in shape to said first tongue.
 26. Theapparatus of claim 25, wherein said second extrusion further includes afirst rectangular groove located between said bottom wall of said secondextrusion and said first tongue.
 27. The apparatus of claim 25, whereinsaid means for interlocking said first extrusion and said secondextrusion when said first extrusion and second extrusions are verticallystacked further comprises a second tongue located on said bottom wall ofsaid first extrusion and a second hook located on said top wall of saidsecond extrusion, said second hook forming a second groove that iscomplimentary in shape to said second tongue.
 28. The apparatus of claim27, wherein said first extrusion further includes a second rectangulargroove located between said bottom wall of said first extrusion and saidsecond tongue.
 29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said first andsecond extrusions each further comprise an inner wall.
 30. The apparatusof claim 29, wherein each of said inner walls comprises a first ribhaving a slot formed thereon.
 31. The apparatus of claim 30, whereineach of said first ribs is circular in cross-section.
 32. The apparatusof claim 30, wherein each of said inner walls further comprises a secondrib, said second rib being substantially identical in structure to saidfirst rib.
 33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein each of said secondribs is circular in cross-section.
 34. The apparatus of claim 21,wherein said first and second extrusions each further comprises: anouter wall; and a groove located on said outer wall for locating theproper vertical position of a standard drawer slide.